Company targeting EMEA alongside new firm Nexus Core Systems
Korean Internet giant Naver is planning a data center development in Africa.
Naver Cloud this week announced a partnership with Nvidia, Nexus Core Systems, and investment firm Lloyds Capital to build a 500MW AI data center in Morocco.
The project aims to provide sovereign AI computing services throughout the EMEA region, which encompasses Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Construction is scheduled to begin on the first phase of the project in Q4 2025.
Available within the year, that initial phase will offer 40MW and feature Nvidia’s Blackwell GB200 GPUs. The site is expected to then be gradually expanded to a maximum of 500MW. Further details weren’t shared.
The consortium said it has signed a strategic renewable energy supply contract with energy company TAQA and secured a sustainable and stable power infrastructure.
Naver Cloud will participate as a platform operator of the data center together with Nexus Core Systems and Lloyd Capital, and will provide integrated AI services and applications based on its advanced cloud platform.
Naver's strategic business director, Chae Seon-ju, said: "The trust in Naver's technological prowess and execution capabilities proven in Saudi Arabia led to our participation in this global project. This collaboration will be an important turning point for Naver's cloud and AI technologies to expand beyond Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East to the European market."
Chae continued: “We will continue to strengthen our capabilities and expand collaboration with various partners so that Naver can secure technological leadership and play a meaningful role in the rapidly evolving global AI value chain.”
Naver offers public cloud services through its multi-region Ncloud and its on-premise Neurocloud service.
Naver Cloud currently lists six cloud regions in South Korea, as well as one each in Japan, Germany, Singapore, and the US (West Coast); future regions are planned in the US (East Coast), Vietnam, Taiwan, and Thailand. It previously exited Hong Kong.
On its website, Nexus Core Systems lists plans for a 12-hectare Moroccan site, as well as plans for a 10MW site in Charlotte, North Carolina, and capacity totaling 40MW across Sweden. The company claims to be able to support up to 400kW per rack via liquid cooling.
The company’s CEO and cofounder is listed as Christopher Yoshida, who is managing partner at boutique global advisory and private investment vehicle Pinetree Partners. He was previously CFO at Northern Data.
The 65-site site in the US would host Nvidia GB200 GPUs and is reportedly set to launch in Q1 2026. The image the company uses for the site appears to match 1841 Jack McKinney Rd in Rutherfordton. The image the company uses for the Sweden capacity is an 8MW site operated by crypto firm Genesis Digital Assets in Porjus.
